Basketball
Ben Simmons’ Return to Philadelphia 76ers is off to a Rocky Start
by privatebet.com - 2021/10/20
After a lot of speculations about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons is back to practicing with his old team, but his return hasn’t been a smooth one. He was suspended from a regular-season opener after being thrown out of practice. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons was asked to leave Tuesday's practice after declining to take part in a defensive drill. The 76ers coach Doc Rivers decided to send him home this time around because his behavior wasn’t bettering the team’s performance. “I just thought he was a distraction today. I didn't think he wanted to do what everybody else was doing. It was early. It wasn't a big deal. I just told him he should leave. We went on with the practice,” explained Rivers. Simmons’s teammate Joel Embiid also addressed his behavior after the practice, saying it’s not his job to “babysit somebody”, but to focus on winning and playing as a team. The superstar center and the rest of the 76ers will have a chance to prove their worth during their season-opening game against the Pelicans. Simmons won’t take part in this game due to his suspensions, and his absence is proving costly for the All-Star player. In addition to being levied numerous fines for missed practices and losing $1.4 million for his absence from preseason games, he’s expected to lose another $227,000 for missing the season opener.